1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an operation console having a touch-panel display and, more specifically, to a technique facilitating user input and image confirmation.
2. Description of the Background Art
A technique of displaying software keys on a screen image of a touch-panel display, allowing a user to operate the software keys has been known.
By way of example, Japanese Patent Laying-Open No. 2009-177526 (hereinafter referred to as '526 Reference) discloses an image processing apparatus in which, when a user selects a simple-operation mode by a mode selection key, an operation screen image including various software keys used for operation in the simple-operation mode is displayed. The various software keys include a start key, a setting key and ten keys. Japanese Patent Laying-Open No. 2003-131528 (hereinafter referred to as '528 Reference) discloses an image forming apparatus detecting user behavior and changing arrangement of UI components displayed on a display operation unit. The UI components of which arrangement is changed in '528 Reference include a display unit, ten keys and a start key.
Further, conventionally, a technique of displaying a preview image on a screen of a display device, allowing a user to confirm a finished state of the image and giving an instruction for image processing has been known.
By way of example, Japanese Patent Laying-Open No. 2008-203439 (hereinafter referred to as '439 Reference) discloses an image processing apparatus in which a preview image satisfying prescribed conditions among a plurality of preview images is displayed with emphasis.
In the apparatuses related to images as described above, numerical values such as the number of copies are often input as parameters for setting operations of the apparatuses. Ten keys are used for inputting the numerical values. In an apparatus using a touch-panel display, the ten keys are also displayed as virtual keys on the touch-panel display. Since the ten keys are used with high frequency, it is desirable that the ten keys are displayed constantly.
On the other hand, image previews are displayed also with high frequency. For displaying a preview image, display area as large as possible is desired. If the ten keys are displayed on the screen image, however, the usable area becomes undesirably smaller.
In view of the foregoing, it may be helpful to make some operation to switch the display of ten keys on and off. The method of display switching, however, may have room for improvement. It is particularly desirable, when the preview image is to be displayed, to provide the preview display as smooth as possible and to allow immediate change of settings using ten keys when necessary. Further, it may be comfortable for the user if he/she can confirm the preview image as an object during the setting.
The techniques disclosed in '526, '528 and '439 References are silent about the problem related to the display switching between preview images and ten keys. Therefore, according to the techniques disclosed in these References, it is often the case that the user, who is to confirm the preview image and to make an operation using the virtual ten keys, has to erase the ten keys, as the ten keys are displayed even if setting change is unnecessary, when a preview image is displayed. Further, when the user wishes to change settings and has the ten keys displayed, he/she may feel uncertain on which preview image the process is being done. Specifically, there is a trade-off between operability and visibility when the user is to confirm the preview image and when the user is to change settings using the ten keys, and it has been difficult to solve this trade-off by the conventional techniques described above.